Aluminum Chef

Hello again! If you've ready any of my cooking posts before you're aware that simplicity is a winning factor in helping me choose recipes to make. The one I made tonight is my own concoction created from minimal time and limited ingredients. 

Ingredients:

-Boneless chicken breasts (as many as you are serving)

-Mexican rice

-Black beans

-Milk

-Flour

-Seasonings (your choice)

I had a spare chicken breast from a previous meal I had made and wanted to have a well-rounded dinner as opposed to a sad single person dinner where I heat the chicken and dip it in some sort of ketchup or BBQ sauce. Instead I decided to cook some Mexican rice, adding in a half can of black beans to add some depth of flavor. 

Next I dipped my chicken into a bowl of milk and coated it with a combination of flour and multiple seasonings. Remember when you were a child and would get a "suicide" drink from the drink fountain?!? Well you should. For those of you who didn't have a good childhood this drink meant adding just a touch of each soda to your cup. I went old school with my seasonings and sprinkled a bit each seasoning I had and mixed it into my flour. If you aren't as ballsy as me, you can add a dash of salt and pepper. I then fried my chicken in vegetable oil on medium until it was golden brown and no more pink remained inside. 

Lastly, place the chicken over your rice and beans combination and you are set for a great dinner. The chicken was extremely juicy and the various spices added to the already flavorful rice layered with beans. It was a tasty treat that required absolutely no skills in the kitchen; it had my name all over it!

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

Aluminum Chef

Okay seriously y'all, this was one of the most delectable, melt-in-your mouth, amazing meals I have had recently. AND, it totally came in a box. This is they type of meal where it is so yummy that your taste buds force you to comment out loud about they joy they are experiencing. After each bite I had to express to the universe the deliciousness that was occurring.

Usually during my one new meal a week challenge I attempt to make something from scratch; however, I saw this sitting in the middle of Walmart and bought it on a whim. I can only imagine how delightful a chicken pot pie made by your grandmother might be, but I'm pretty sure this would give Granny a run for her money.

The magical creators of said Chicken Pot Pie in a Box are Velveeta. They provide everything except for the chicken. Instructions are blissfully easy to follow and the whole meal only takes 35-40 minutes to make in total. (Half of that is just letting it bake in the oven) I'm urging you to seek your local grocer and give this meal a try, you will be glad you did.

Throw in a great beer and this is definitely a dinner of champions.

The final product :)

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)

Aluminum Chef

In this journey through aisles of Kroger I've never encountered before this has been my favorite dish by far. Albeit I'm too proud to ask an employee for help in finding what other people would deem as routine items, it might suffice to significantly shorten my grocery shopping times. This recipe only required 2 laps around the store, so I'd consider it a success. Along with better knowing the layout of my local grocer, I have also learned how to correctly spell parmesan cheese!

Ingredients:

-Boneless, skinless chicken breasts

-1/4 cup of milk

-1/2 cup bread crumbs

-2 tsps roasted garlic and bell pepper seasoning 

-1 tsp chives

-3 tbsp of butter

-1/2 cup chicken broth

-1/4 can of diced tomatoes

-3 cloves garlic (minced)

-1 cup heavy whipping cream

-1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese blend

-2 tbsp basil

I got this recipe off a blog and they were very specific about the brands of spices and seasonings used. However, I didn't have time for all that and I simply used a couple of seasonings that I knew tasted good with chicken and bread crumbs. So that part of the recipe is easily interchangeable. You combine the bread crumbs, chives and seasoning in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. (I also threw in some salt and pepper) Place the milk in a separate bowl. 

Next you are going to pound the chicken flat and dip each breast in the milk followed by the bread crumb mixture. Make sure you get a nice even coating before placing in a skillet on medium heat (where you have also placed the butter). Cook the chicken until browned on both sides and cooked through. This takes about 10 minutes. 

After the chicken is golden brown (above right) place to the side and keep warm. In the same skillet sauté garlic for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in cream and tomatoes, bring to a boil and stir for one minute. Reduce heat to low; add parmesan cheese, basil, salt and pepper and stir entire sauce for about 5 minutes. 

Now you have your dinner ready to go. Just drizzle as much of this delicious sauce on your breaded chicken and add your veggie of choice. If you don't want to spend time making the sauce by hand, there are plenty of sauces you can buy pre-made which would suffice. But, this sauce is worth the extra effort. If you're looking to save time use canned vegetables or instant potatoes and skim the minutes from your side dishes. 

Mangez bien, riez souvent, aimez beaucoup

(Eat well, laugh often, love abundantly)